Maria of Spain

Maria of Spain (21 June 1528-26 February 1603) was Holy Roman Empress from 25 July 1564 to 12 October 1576, succeeding Isabella of Portugal and preceding Anna of Tyrol.

Biography
Archduchess Maria of Austria was born in Madrid, Spain on 21 June 1528, the daughter of Emperor Charles V and Isabella of Portugal. She grew up between Toledo and Valladolid with her siblings, Philip II of Spain and Joan of Spain, and she married her cousin, the future Emperor Maximilian II, in 1548. They had 16 children over the course of 28 years, including Anna of Austria, Emperor Rudolf II, Archduke Ernest, Elisabeth of Austria, Emperor Matthias, Archduke Maximilian III, Archduke Albert VII, Archduke Wenceslaus, and Archduchess Margaret. From 1548 to 1551, Maria and Maximilian served as regents of Spain while Charles V was on campaign against France, and the couple moved to Vienna in 1552. She was Holy Roman Empress from 1564 to 1576, and the devoutly Catholic Maria had a great influence over her sons, while she often argued with her religiously ambiguous husband. Following her husband's death, she lived in a monastery until her death in 1603.